As temperature continues to rise in the Eastern Province, sale of all types of fruits, especially citrus, has seen a considerable increase across the region. According to sources in Dammam municipal wholesale fruits market in Toyota area and Dammam Central area, customers are now increasingly reaching out for fruits suitable for the hot summer months – watermelons, mangoes, peaches, plums, lychees, oranges and a large variety of other citrus fruits. Despite a wide variety of seasonal and un-seasonal fruits available round the year in the province, and given the fact that the province is well connected by road, air and sea to most of the world's fruit-producing countries, the wholesale and retail markets here are offering ample varieties of fruits at considerably moderate prices. According to traders, citrus fruits are cheaper than other fruits and because of their nutritional value their demand increases during the summer season. The Kingdom is probably one of the very few countries in the world which enjoys all kinds of fruits throughout the year – irrespective of the season. Abdul Rasheed, a worker in wholesale fruit market for more than 12 years, explained that there is a continuous supply of fruits to the Dammam's fruit market from regional and other countries. “ Hundreds of varieties of mangoes come from India during this season. And when the mango season ends in India, then it starts to come to the Kingdom from Pakistan, which also has vast varieties. With the end of mango season in Pakistan, the supply comes from South Korea, followed by Australia and South Africa,” he said. Another vendor commented that varieties of citrus fruits are more in demand these days. Several supermarkets and hypermarkets have reported that the sale of fruits has increased by at least 25 percent since the start of the summer.
